Lab Assignments
Five pathology laboratories are held in the course, each following the related pathology lecture:
- Esophagus and Stomach
- Intestines
- Neoplasms
- Pancreas and Biliary Tract
- Liver
All of the laboratory activities require active participation on your part. Each lab session begins in the classroom with review of the laboratory assignment for the day. The assignments are distributed a few days before each lab session, and consist of a small set of questions related to the topics under discussion in the course. You are expected to answer the question before each session. Hand in your answers and be prepared to discuss each question in class. Please make sure you allow yourself enough time to complete these assignments because some questions may require additional reading or examination of microscopic slides. Although your responses will not be individually graded, the quality of your work and the level of your participation in the labs will be considered in the final evaluation for the course.
Following the review of assignments, the class will be divided into two groups in the adjacent skills areas. Here you will have an opportunity to examine and discuss collections of surgical resections and autopsy specimens related to laboratory topics. Examination of specimens is valuable both for recognizing the extraordinary severity of disease which can develop in any living person, and for developing a clear idea of what you may be up against when conducting non-invasive diagnostic procedures (including history and physical examination). Keep in mind that the goal of these sessions is not to come up with a precise clinical or pathological diagnosis for each specimen, but to develop an appreciation for the spectrum, severity, and complications of gastrointestinal diseases in general. No prior preparation is required for this part of the labs.
Lab Assignment 1 (PDF)
Lab Assignment 2 (PDF)
Lab Assignment 3 (PDF)
Lab Assignment 4 (PDF)
Lab Assignment 5 (PDF)